Transmission or Transfer Box Prob????

[steelo1]

I was 4wding with mates on the w/end going up some pretty steep & loose hills, whilst doing this I started to smell a slight burning oil smell. I was checking the tranny light to see if it started flashing & it didn't, almost got to the top when all of a sudden I lost all forward momentum. It just dropped out of gear & wouldn't go back in (in 4wd or 2wd), everything else was working as normal. I got underneath & checked shifting bar & cable, everything was fine, so had to get towed to the top (20 feet) let everything cool down for an hour & a half but still no gears. If anything there was a small almost grinding noise when trying to put it back in park, I had to switch off to put it into park.
As the motor was running we just turned me around (going straight was worse) & coasted down hills (in neutral of course) testing the ABS out, & boy am I glad they have that LOL, & towed up hills till we got onto level ground then just towed back to camp. When back at camp & unhitching I tried the gears & low & behold it worked so we tried 4wd & lost everything again. I checked the transfer case oil & yuk burnt as, so I replaced it with new but still no go. I tried it in the morning & again still no go, oh & all these times I had to turn of to get it into park, then tried again a couple of hours later, no go again but when I tried to put it into Park it still made the grinding noise but when I quickly put it back into Reverse (oh Aussie X's are all T-bar auto's) it moved. I went through all the gears & everything fine but am not willing to put it into 4wd & maybe loose it all again.
Any idea's???????
Am thinking , along with others, that it might be transfer box solenoid as the grinding noise suits that but hoping others here might know, thanks
My X spec's are below in signature

 

[rickybobby]

It definatly sounds like you have a bad t-case

 

[steelo1]

Have been told by the nearest explorer parts & mechanical (more than 300klm's away) that it's more than likely the selector on the transfer case, hope so as cheaper & easier to fix :australia

 

[drdoom]

Yes sounds like transfer, but learn from me I once thought the shift motor was causing the problem. It was not it was internal. Still a pretty easy fix though, just cleaned it out a bit and replaced range collar, shift fork, and deal with the shift rail ovalling.

 

[steelo1]

Well it was the transfer case itself, whilst at the X specialist (only 1 in Oz) he checked the shift motor but it was working fine, he showed, explained & asked what I wanted to do every step of the way, which was great as you don't get that 99% of the time. The oil in the transfer case (t/c) was like a metal flake paint job or xmas decoration, anyway as there are no new ones in Oz & nobody but this guy does them here he told me the easiest way was 2nd hand, the best way was rebuild. As being a bit strapped for cash (being pensioners) we went the 2nd hand. He had one there that had done 150 000k's (which is less then my X at 179 000k's) so told him to put it in.
As we had not found a place to stay overnight he let us use his pc to find a motel then drove us there himself, about 10-12k's away in Gold Coast afternoon peak hour then picked us up the next day when WE were ready after car finished, how's THAT for service that you don't get anymore.
He also hooked us up with a free 6mth subscription to a roadside assist mob, could only give us 1mth warranty on used part but that's ok, chucked in some Wynn's engine oil conditioner & did a handbrake adjustment as well. Also did a quick check over & warned me of things that will need doing in the future - both bottom ball joints, engine tensioners are starting to rattle slightly & thermostat housing starting to leak into valley.
This all came to $1800 being 1100 for 2nd hand t/c (only 1 for over 600k's) & 700 for labour, wife now thinks he's god (specially for all the "little" things he did) & we have to take it there for everything LOL. He gave me all sorts of info & tips on Explorers, most of which I knew but some I didn't, you guys in the US have to remember that over here in Oz they stopped bring them at the end of 2004 & as such there is nothing & nobody who will even work on them, except for the odd one here & there scattered all over this big country.
Seems to drive better now all round, don't know why that would be???
Even got an e-mail this a.m. (being Monday here) asking how it went on trip home & wishing us a Merry Christmas.
For you guys in Oz this guy seems to specialise in anything American from hot-rods to 4x4's & actually owns a couple of Explorers. :australia

p.s. forgot, he's called GMT Auto's & he's on the Gold Coast